Spool-cabinet.



no. 646,424. Patented Apr. 3, 1900.

" w. H. GENTNEB.

sPooL CABINET.

(A'pplication filed Aug. 80, 1899.)

(No Model.)

NITED STATES PATENT Fries.

WILLIAM H. GENTNER, or FARMINGTON, IOWA;

SPOOL-CABINET.

SPECIFIdA'IION formingart of Letters retest Ne. 646,424, dated April e,1906; Application filed August 30, 1899; Serial No. 728,997. (No model.)

a citizen of the United States, residing at' Fa rmington, in the countyof Van Buren and State of Iowa, have invented a new and usefulSpool-Cabinet, of which the'following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in cabinets forspool-cotton'and the like; and it has for its objects among others thesimplification of the delivery of spools of thread or other smallpackages from a case or cabinet to the hand of a retail or'other dealer;.to expose in an accessible manner various colors of spool cotton orsilks or to hold like shades in separate sections, and also to affordmeans for indicating the exhaust of any one or more grades in thecabinet; to arrange the spool cotton or silk so that the coarser numberswill be centrally positioned and gradually decrease outwardly towardopposite ends and to provide for convenience in filling the cabinet andalso for relieving the chutes of an obstructing spool that may have beenaccidentally inserted in an irregular' manner, and also to provide meansfor reducing the cabinet to compact form with special advantages inshipment or storage.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in thesubjoined description and the novelty hereinafter claimed, and in theaccompanying drawings a preferred embodiment of the improvement isillustrated, and wherein-- I v Figure 1 is a perspective view of acabinet embodying the invention. Fig. 2'is atransverse vertical sectionof the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of a part of the improveddevice. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the bottomof the cabinet, showing the mode of applying the folding legs thereto.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to'indic'ate correspondingparts in the several views.

g In "carrying the invention into practice a substantially-rectangulardelivery-casing l is provided and has any desired external ornamentationand also of such size and dimensions as may be selected for aparticularnumher or quantity of spools. This delivery-casin g is preferablycentrally divided by a transversely-disposed main partition 2, betweenwhich and the opposite ends of the casing are a plurality ofspool-separating partitions 3, whichare arranged in planes parallel withthe said main partition 2. The bottom board or closure 4 of the saiddelivery-casing 1 has less transverse extent than the said casing in asimilar direction, and this difference in width is due to a recess 5,formed in the front edge of the said bottom or closure 4, which isdeepest at the center and gradually becomes shallower toward oppositeends of the said bottom or closure.

Depending over the front of the deliverycasing 1 is a guard-rail 6,having therein a series of finger-openings 7, extending upwardlythereinto from the bottom and corresponding in number to that of thespool-channels in the delivery-casing. The lower edges of the separatedmembers of the rail are in alinement with the bottomor closure4, and theformation of the recess 5 provides varioussized feed-openings in rear ofthe rail. Ex-

tending forwardly from the bottom board or closure 4 to the center ofthe opening 7 are spring-fingers 8, which are intended to hold thespools from accidental disengagement, but offer very little resistanceto a withdrawal of the spools, as will presently be described, owing tothe fact that theyare formed of thin spring metal.

, The top 9 of the delivery-casing presents a smooth surface that may beused for different purposes, if desired, and therein near the rear onopposite sides of the partition 2 are transparent panels 10,which exposethe spoolchannels to exterior view and provide'me'ans for distinguishingthe colors of the spool cotton or silks and also to show when anyone ormore of the channels may need repIenish ing. All the channels betweenthe partitions 3, which form means for feeding the spools toward therail 6, open out at the rear of the delivery-casing 1, and to the rearend of said casing is hinged a supply-casing 11. The supply-casing 11 isalso of substantially-rectangular form and has a closed front and backand a hinged top 12. The front 13 is shorter than the back 14 a distanceequal to the height of the channels in the casing 1, and extendingforwardly from the lower extremity of the back 14 is a ledge-strip 15,which is adapted to coincide with the rear edge of the bottom board orclosure 4:. A curved directing-plate 16 extends from the lower portionof the back 14 to the upper part of the ledge-strip 15, said platehaving a flushfitting at its opposite ends, and in hinging the saidcasing 11 the connecting devices for this purpose at the outer andintermediate portions are secured to the lower portion of the Wall 13and"the rear edge of the top of the casing. The casing 11 is verticallydivided by a series of partitions 17, there being th e same numbe'r ofloose partitions as the partitions 3. Th e par titions 17 form chutes,and these chutes from a central partition 18 gradually decrease in sizetowardthe opposite ends of the casing 11, and the channel'sjbet'weenthepartitions 3 also correspondingly decrease toward the opposite ends ofithicas'ing 1. The" chhtesfbetween' the" 'aftitions 17, throughthemedium of'the" directingplate 16, have easy communication; witlijthe'channelsof' thecasing'ljandi n load in g thedeyice the spools areregularly d rop'pedf in'the chutes' and roll forward from theibotto'm'offithe latter toward thelrail' (i' until the cliannelsinjthecasing 1, asjwellastliechutes;- are"filledto"their f ull capacity."Theyv'eight of the spools behind andabovewill of course" slidve Fthe ontern o'st'spools clo's 1y againstthe rail {if afid'the height ofthefse'veral'ichanheljs tuit as' nsi w a i e l h the a ameterorme spoolintefidedtobed epesnea' at'ioti fa spdolshoul'd accidentally d'fiopi'ntothe i -oat of its chutein an rregular n: nerandbeic'oihei'odgedadj'acent the directing-f pl fi 1, 6 Q' Se 1 ch i f l11 kfi canbefguick ly exposed by turhin'gthe casing 11 dowu on thecasingl andaiiord nieansfor' u e ly releasing the" ir guiany arti te-o1-wig'hdji't disturbing the 'spo'ols withi n thecas iii 1.

a e frontfof nit rail(i'is suppliiedf'vfith partition. Thisrnayalso bevaried, as will be appreciated by those-understanding the advantages ofa cabinet of this character, and

instead of numerals other designating means may be employed and otherpackages aside from sp'ool cotton or silk" might be as convenientlyretailed from the cabinet.

In removing the spools from the cabinet the hand'is placed under therail beneath the number desired and the thumb forced through the opening7, thereby passing the forward spool downvvardlyagainstthe resistance01? the holding-finger 8 and until the latter is clear and automaticallyflies up to prevent the succeeding spoolin the same channel fronlbe'comingf disengaged: It will be seen from'tliis simple mode ofusingthe'device;together withthe'colivenienc innum stated, thisisnotesistitial and,as' twenty 5 Fig. m y have a rbnglitaiiiieaa' t etoq bifiat i a"d v s/we ewere e" e qf pbo -eha s t 'eifisf fi m daid orclosure recessed at its front 'ed'geand arail depending over thechannels at the front of the casing in advance of the recessed end ofthe bottom board or closure and having a series of openings alining withthe several channels, and spring-fingers standing outwardly from thefront terminations of the channels.

3. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of adelivery-casing having a series of spool-channels therein opening outclear through the rear, having front open feeding-terminals, and asupply-casin g hinged to said delivery-casing and provided with a seriesof chutes adapted to have their lower extremities merged into the rearextremities of the said channels.

4. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of adelivery-casing having a series of spool-channels therein open at therear, having front open feeding-terminals, a supply-casing hinged to thesaid delivery-casing and provided with a series of chutes adapted to bemade continuous with the said channel and a curved direction-plateextending across the rear bottom portions of the several chutes.

5. In a device of the character set forth, the combination ofa'delivery-casing having a series of channels therein with front openfeeding-terminals and rear open extremities, transparent panelsseparately arranged in the upnels and having a series of openings alinedwith the several channels, and a supply-casing hinged to the rear of thedelivery-casing and provided with a series of chutes adapted to haveunobstructed communication with the channels in said delivery-casing,the chutes and channels being of similar dimension.

6. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of adelivery-casing having a series of channels open at the rear and alsopro-' vided with front open feeding-terminals, and a supply-casinghinged to the rear of the delivery-casing and provided with a series ofchutes adapted to have unobstructed communication with the channels insaid deliverycasing, the channels and chutes being similarly decreasedin width from the center toward the opposite ends of the devicescontaining the same.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. GENTNER.

Witnesses:

J. K. HUTOHESON, L. T. GENTNER.

